Again I have to move away from them. This time we won't be so far apart as before, but still. The situation will be different too. I think about how papa will manage all these. Hopefully soon we'll be together again.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Finally we decided that the family would all move to Melbourne.
It was really heartbreaking to leave the people we love dearly, who have become like our own family and helped us a lot in many wonderful ways, and the place we knew so well.
We sold some of our things, and some that are left we gave away. Time was really tight. We had to leave to Indonesia on 6 Jul and I could only go home on 21 June due to my assignments (the last of which due on 19 June) and the ticket price which was cheapest on that day. So the last few days of our stay in Bangkok were crazy. Our goodbyes were sad, we do not know when we will see one another again. And I was so touched with their love and support for us, though we are not related by blood, religion or country.
We spent some good times with our family in Indonesia, the highlight of which was the thanksgiving celebration of my mother in law's birthday. She looks absolutely georgeous. We are also lucky to be surrounded by our ever supportive and loving blood relatives.
Then another farewell with the family, though not as heartbreaking as the first time, because this time we know that we will definitely see one another again.
When we arrived at the Melbourne airport, the queue for immigration was so long. One girl tried to cut the line and was scolded by people from her own country. Even the queue to go pass the Custom check was very long, it snaked around the baggage claim room. We went out after 2 hours, luckily I did not book the airport pick up that was only 1 hour after we landed, but we chose the one with 3 hours gap.
However, the same thing happened, they dropped us on the other side of the road. It is impossible to cross the road carrying so many things and two kids. So we called a van cab. Then we went to Monash because I needed to ask them about my internship and we ate our late lunch (Chicken Pho and Crispy Chicken Ribs at Roll'd) and then we went to Chadstone to buy shoes for J, home slippers and long trousers for boys, also some groceries. We had dinner at D' Elephant as I did not have time to cook.
We got down at the wrong bus stop on the way home as it was dark and I could not see clearly. The next bus will only come after 20 mins, we decided to walk in the cold, rather than just standing there waiting. We tried to call for a taxi but it did not come until it was only 3 mins to the next bus. So I cancelled the taxi and we took a bus home.
This morning was chaotic. I had to cook for the boys to take for their Camp Australia holiday program. Many things were still kept inside the boxes or suitcases. Finally we managed to send the boys at 9.30 from the original schedule of 8.00
Anyway, we sent the boys and I and papa washed the laundry, did some unpacking, went to Monash, I started doing Pilates again, had lunch at the Asian shop on the 1st floor of Campus Centre, got papa his Australian number, Tax number, visited Monash Professional Development and Training and registered the boys for their vaccination certification at Monash Health. I also got good news about internship. The boys enjoyed their Camp activities. I feel grateful and I think God has laid out everything for us in His own wonderful and mysterious ways.
It was really heartbreaking to leave the people we love dearly, who have become like our own family and helped us a lot in many wonderful ways, and the place we knew so well.
We sold some of our things, and some that are left we gave away. Time was really tight. We had to leave to Indonesia on 6 Jul and I could only go home on 21 June due to my assignments (the last of which due on 19 June) and the ticket price which was cheapest on that day. So the last few days of our stay in Bangkok were crazy. Our goodbyes were sad, we do not know when we will see one another again. And I was so touched with their love and support for us, though we are not related by blood, religion or country.
We spent some good times with our family in Indonesia, the highlight of which was the thanksgiving celebration of my mother in law's birthday. She looks absolutely georgeous. We are also lucky to be surrounded by our ever supportive and loving blood relatives.
Then another farewell with the family, though not as heartbreaking as the first time, because this time we know that we will definitely see one another again.
When we arrived at the Melbourne airport, the queue for immigration was so long. One girl tried to cut the line and was scolded by people from her own country. Even the queue to go pass the Custom check was very long, it snaked around the baggage claim room. We went out after 2 hours, luckily I did not book the airport pick up that was only 1 hour after we landed, but we chose the one with 3 hours gap.
However, the same thing happened, they dropped us on the other side of the road. It is impossible to cross the road carrying so many things and two kids. So we called a van cab. Then we went to Monash because I needed to ask them about my internship and we ate our late lunch (Chicken Pho and Crispy Chicken Ribs at Roll'd) and then we went to Chadstone to buy shoes for J, home slippers and long trousers for boys, also some groceries. We had dinner at D' Elephant as I did not have time to cook.
We got down at the wrong bus stop on the way home as it was dark and I could not see clearly. The next bus will only come after 20 mins, we decided to walk in the cold, rather than just standing there waiting. We tried to call for a taxi but it did not come until it was only 3 mins to the next bus. So I cancelled the taxi and we took a bus home.
This morning was chaotic. I had to cook for the boys to take for their Camp Australia holiday program. Many things were still kept inside the boxes or suitcases. Finally we managed to send the boys at 9.30 from the original schedule of 8.00
Anyway, we sent the boys and I and papa washed the laundry, did some unpacking, went to Monash, I started doing Pilates again, had lunch at the Asian shop on the 1st floor of Campus Centre, got papa his Australian number, Tax number, visited Monash Professional Development and Training and registered the boys for their vaccination certification at Monash Health. I also got good news about internship. The boys enjoyed their Camp activities. I feel grateful and I think God has laid out everything for us in His own wonderful and mysterious ways.
Sunday, July 03, 2016
Today is the day
The last eight months had been so torturing.... I had been doing my preparations but we had not told the kids about it, so we did not tell our friends yet either... everyday I was looking at my surroundings with the feeling that I will not see it again for the next few months... the place that I had been calling home for the last seventeen years, the best seventeen years of my life so far...
It was like having my feet at two different places, I know I have to go for the sake of our family's future but at the same time I don't want to go... I applied for my visa three months before the start of my study, but there is this part of my heart that was worried that they would not grant it but also hoped that they would not... but they granted it....
After that I told my Case Manager that my visa has been granted and she took care of my OSHC... after I got the OSHC and knew when the coverage started, I bought my ticket.... it felt like the point of no return... though actually when I accepted the scholarship offer in November it was already the point of no return....
The last couple of weeks I had this silly thought that if I do things slowly, time would pass more slowly too .... the night before our first farewell dinner in mid June with my hubby's colleagues who are also my friends, I told my kids... I thought that J would cry but T cried more, while J only cried because he saw his brother cried....
After that it was a series of farewells to my dear friends, who have been a part of my life all this time... I teared up everytime..... and one night, T prayed for me "God, please protect mama when she is in Australia, so no bad people will hurt her", I assured her that I will be ok, that I had traveled to many places on my own, he asked me,"What if you don't know that they are bad people?", oh this boy whom I scolded so much..... I cried hard that night....
But tonight was the culmination... we went out from the house at 17.00 so we could have dinner together and the kids could send me to the airport.... we said our teary goodbyes... I was crying the whole time after we finished our dinner... my hope and the only thing I could tell my kids is that we will see each other again in December
So my lonely adventure began.... there were so many people queueing at the bag and body check area... and we had to remove shoes/ slippers and computer/ powerbanks from the carry on bags... ohhh the smell from their smelly feet was killing me.... anyway, here I am waiting for two hours until my boarding time....
It was like having my feet at two different places, I know I have to go for the sake of our family's future but at the same time I don't want to go... I applied for my visa three months before the start of my study, but there is this part of my heart that was worried that they would not grant it but also hoped that they would not... but they granted it....
After that I told my Case Manager that my visa has been granted and she took care of my OSHC... after I got the OSHC and knew when the coverage started, I bought my ticket.... it felt like the point of no return... though actually when I accepted the scholarship offer in November it was already the point of no return....
The last couple of weeks I had this silly thought that if I do things slowly, time would pass more slowly too .... the night before our first farewell dinner in mid June with my hubby's colleagues who are also my friends, I told my kids... I thought that J would cry but T cried more, while J only cried because he saw his brother cried....
After that it was a series of farewells to my dear friends, who have been a part of my life all this time... I teared up everytime..... and one night, T prayed for me "God, please protect mama when she is in Australia, so no bad people will hurt her", I assured her that I will be ok, that I had traveled to many places on my own, he asked me,"What if you don't know that they are bad people?", oh this boy whom I scolded so much..... I cried hard that night....
But tonight was the culmination... we went out from the house at 17.00 so we could have dinner together and the kids could send me to the airport.... we said our teary goodbyes... I was crying the whole time after we finished our dinner... my hope and the only thing I could tell my kids is that we will see each other again in December
So my lonely adventure began.... there were so many people queueing at the bag and body check area... and we had to remove shoes/ slippers and computer/ powerbanks from the carry on bags... ohhh the smell from their smelly feet was killing me.... anyway, here I am waiting for two hours until my boarding time....
Sunday, January 03, 2016
dream comes true
As impossible as it had seemed before, my dream has come true
But unlike the time when I had to leave for Thailand (I embraced it whole-heartedly and happily, I literally leapt at the opportunity), this time my feelings are hard to describe
in my eight years of being a mother, the longest time I ever left my boys were five days
during the worst times, when I was so down, I thought that they would be better off without me
but when the possibility comes that I will have to leave them for a long time
my heart is wrenched
I am not afraid or worried of what I have to do there, but I know my heart and thoughts will always be here
But unlike the time when I had to leave for Thailand (I embraced it whole-heartedly and happily, I literally leapt at the opportunity), this time my feelings are hard to describe
in my eight years of being a mother, the longest time I ever left my boys were five days
during the worst times, when I was so down, I thought that they would be better off without me
but when the possibility comes that I will have to leave them for a long time
my heart is wrenched
I am not afraid or worried of what I have to do there, but I know my heart and thoughts will always be here
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
it is that time of the month again when my body would feel tired with no reason at all
and papa is traveling abroad for 6 days
and there's the school food fair and i have committed to prepare cookies for sale
and no school for the boys as it is closed for a day for the food fair
and the Annual Report to the donor of my project is due in another 2 working days
and I couldn't work on it before as there were so many interruptions, lack of sleep due to house chores and papa's absence and my mind just work better when it is near deadline ...
ouch....
and papa is traveling abroad for 6 days
and there's the school food fair and i have committed to prepare cookies for sale
and no school for the boys as it is closed for a day for the food fair
and the Annual Report to the donor of my project is due in another 2 working days
and I couldn't work on it before as there were so many interruptions, lack of sleep due to house chores and papa's absence and my mind just work better when it is near deadline ...
ouch....
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